Roots Of Rage: A Vampire King Paranormal Romance (Transfusion Saga Book 9)

by Stephanie Hudson

“I gather you know what that meant?”

  “Aye.”

  “Whit th’ fck does it look lik' we hae bin doin', havin ourselves a fckin pairtie?” Trice said, making Vern glance back at the dancing goblin who didn’t seem to notice this was going on and say,

  “Aye, it kinda does.”

  “He juist lifted th' damn Hex, yer ninny!” Trice told them and as if to add strength to this claim, this was when the goblin decided to jump to face them and shake his little body at them, whilst dancing his hands up and down his torso in some sort of proud display. The brothers’ faces were a picture, making Gryph rub the back of his neck in an awkward way and Vern raise a brow before telling him,

  “Aye, very bonnie that.” The goblin looked to Gryph and he agreed in a gruff tone,

  “Aye, bonnie.”

  I had to say the whole scene made me giggle and I was just as surprised at hearing it coming from myself after the horrific ordeal I had just been through. Shortly after this our little goblin friend excused himself after first getting dressed and tipping his squashed hat our way before whistling his way out of the door.

  I also finished lacing my dress up and I had to say now the Hex was removed I was feeling so much better. I ran over to Gryph and Vern giving them each a hug telling them how glad I was to see them. But then I found my hands framing Vern’s handsome face and having no choice but to tell him about what had happened to Nero.

  “I'm so sorry to tell you, but Nero...she...well she…” Suddenly Vern was grinning at me and I soon found out why when he told me,

  “Nero is fine lass, she wis found 'n' tis back at th' King’s castle.” The second I heard this I collapsed in his arms and started sobbing into his chest as the emotions hit me all at once. I couldn't believe it, as much as I had hoped for that very thing! Nero, my friend was safe. She was alive!

  “But wait, that means if she was found that Lucius came for us…and if you're here now...wait, why are you guys here? Of course, not that I'm not happy to see you but why didn't Lucius come, why didn't…?” Gryph looked to Vern and then back at me before telling me,

  “He had tae deal wi' his brother.” I sucked in a startled breath and practically screeched,

  “He knows he's got a brother and he found him?!”

  “Well, he wasn't exactly hard tae fin', lass,” Gryph said making me frown, as suddenly with that comment, something didn’t seem right here.

  “Why wasn’t he hard to find?” I asked, but it was Vern who answered me this time,

  “Nae whin tis Nero who told him whit ye said 'n' his brother turned oot tae be his second in command,” Vern said with a grin as if we had caught the bad guy, whereas I stumbled back a few steps in utter shock. My hands flew to my mouth and I felt the colour drain from my face.

  “Lass?”

  “Whit be wrong?” Vern and Gryph both asked as well as prompting Trice to come up behind me and take hold of the tops of my arms before turning me around to face him.

  “Amelia?”

  “What does Lucius plan to do to him?” I asked instead of answering them.

  “Whit th' treacherous bastard deserves, he wull be dead by mornin,'” Vern told me making me suck in a horrified breath.

  “Amelia, speak tae me,” Trice tried again, when I told him,

  “Nero, she has made a mistake…”

  “Bit she…” I quickly interrupted Vern.

  “She said only what I told her…that Lucius had a brother who was his enemy, one he didn’t know about…Oh Gods, we have to go, we have to stop it before it’s too late!” I shouted in desperation running to the door and only stopping when Trice held me back.

  “Amelia, stop…”

  “No! I have seen his brother’s face, Trice, and his brother isn’t…”

  “He isn’t…?”

  This was when I told them the grave mistake that had been made.

  “It wasn’t his second in command and that means he is about to kill his own brother…one who isn’t…”

  “A traitor.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Matthias

  Roots of Rage

  The moment I materialised through the portal I took in the smell of another puppet, three of them actually if you could call them that. Oh, my brother Lucius had worked them over good, but then again, he always had a way when extracting information. Thankfully, I had an even better way at keeping it from him.

  After all, I had been doing it since his rebirth.

  The Keepers of Three limped their way out from the cave in which they hid, no doubt nursing their wounds that were still yet to heal. Of course, they would do that until my presence returned, and this was the first time since our foolish lovers had stepped into Hell.

  “Master, we did as you asked.”

  “We completed our task.”

  “Mmknd…”

  “Ah, ah, you know how I loath to hear from that one,” I said, preventing the murmured ramblings from a head that should have been severed years ago. However, it was told that one couldn't live without the other and I had needed to keep them around for this very purpose, for all my plans were finally coming to fruition.

  However, I had been surprised for there had been one aspect of my plan that I have not been expecting. This being the power of the Eye that had decided to choose Lucius' little bitch over me.

  In the end this would be nothing more than a mere inconvenience, for I would find a way to simply make another puppet out of the girl. I would get to her somehow. Oh, I doubted that I could rely on getting another use out the Hex before it was removed. I also doubted to have another opportunity for Dalene to cast another upon her flesh. For no doubt one of Lucius' shifter dogs had found some way of removing it, meaning that the girl would be protected from another Hex.

  This, however, was of little bother, for I would just have my own witch come up with a new way. She was vicious and cunning and more powerful than any other witch alive. And for the most part completely loyal and easy to control. Well, that was if the other side of her behaved as she was supposed to. But admittedly it was every now and again I had to put her back in her place just as I had with these three cretins, stains upon the Earth and yet another failure of my father's.

  They were pitiful to look at and a mere drain upon our bloodline. But then there was no greater insult than there was in being forced to endure sharing my blood with the likes of that vampire. My father’s greatest accomplishment, it was fucking laughable! Precisely something I would do when they were all burning at my feet, for the entire vampire race I would see crumble, exploding in ash where they all fucking belonged!

  Despite this hatred, I still told them what they wanted to hear, for their use might still serve me yet.

  “You did well, my brothers, for you accomplished your task…now get out of my sight!” I said, making them sink back into their hole. Then I walked across the space of the Temple cracking the stone floor and making the infection in the roots respond to their true Master.

  Hatred and rage.

  Yet, despite the power of the Tree of Souls not yet fully belonging to me, this Temple, I had made my home and the veil that I had placed at the end of the tunnel evaporated the moment I walked through it. I’d had Dalene cast it for me, so that when finally getting Lucius and his Chosen One down here, I had a way to prevent him from stopping her going into Hell. It was also why I had the Keepers of Three show her exactly what she needed to see to make her believe in this heroic attempt at trying to save the Tree of Souls. Everything had been orchestrated to get these two back into Hell and into my realm, where the wheels of my plan could finally start turning faster.

  I felt the presence of my witch the moment she appeared. She had most definitely been playing her part very well, even going so far as to take control of her own little vampire army, making them into nothing more than zombies. She assured me that she could do what needed to be done to get Lucius and the mortal girl down into Hell. This meant going as far as planting the box for her
father to find, and also the map inside, all of which were connected with the same blood that ran through my veins. The same that ran through that of our father’s.

  It was how she had managed it, using my blood as the anchor.

  Every single action the witch had made had been to lead her to this point, for she was the true key and puppet I needed in manipulating my brother, and the best part was that she didn't even know it. But yet I still needed that Eye of Crimson for my plan to end the way I intended it to, for that was where the true power lay.

  I had to admit that manipulating our other brother into becoming my personal portal master had been fun and now knowing that he was the one that was to be blamed for my actions was another death that I could cross off my list. Oh, how I couldn't wait to see the look on my brother’s face when he discovered that he had killed someone so loyal to him for all these years. it was a bonus that I hadn't even thought of until this day.

  Now if I just had that Eye I'd be congratulating myself a lot more. However, the second her power had erupted, then I had to confess it wasn't often I was shocked and admittedly a little impressed. Perhaps there was another use for her other than just sacrificing her life for my gain.

  Perhaps I would make her my Queen. Now this was a notion indeed, for it was temping, stealing her away from my brother and forcing him to watch as I took everything from him, including his powerful little bitch. A woman, admittedly, I was starting to like more than I should, for she wasn't anything I expected her to be. I’d had her watched for years, knowing who she was to Lucius almost at the same point that he did, for I was the one who orchestrated her kidnapping the first day he saved her.

  The mortal life she lived repulsed me and I believed her nothing more than a fly trapped in my web, but then when I saw her today something snapped inside of me. Something was awakened. It was true my nature was drawn to powerful beings, collecting them for my gain. But this was something else entirely. Fuck! But I think I was still hard just thinking about her! Of course, this was an unfortunate moment, Dalene walked closer after using the portal I had Dariush unknowingly make.

  I wondered if he was currently begging for his life in some shithole cell somewhere beneath my brother's castle....a castle that should have been mine. Fuck, how I hated my brother!

  I hated him with a passion like no other, the roots of my rage were connected to Tartarus, just as that fucking hand of his was. But the Venom of God was yet another immense power granted to the wrong fucking person.

  I would make him pay.

  I would make them all fucking pay, and Amelia made for a nice sight in my mind of her on her knees before me.

  “My Lord Master.” Dalene’s voice echoed in the space I had made my home lifting its veil and revealing the underground palace fit for the real King of Hell.

  “My dear, I trust everything went well?” I asked, recalling the next stage in our planning.

  “But of course, however, I fear the Hex will soon be severed as the shifter found the Hexion demon we too had been looking for.” I waved my hand, telling her,

  “It is of little matter, for I know a better way to reach the girl and after all, we have manipulated her every step up until now, we will merely continue to do so.”

  “Yes, my Lord Master.” I took a look at my witch, one who had been with me for very long time and like most of my minions, it was through their own roots of rage and the promise of revenge that led them to me. However, I believed Dalene’s was the strongest need for vengeance, and almost as great as my own considering the connexion she had to Lucius or should I say…

  Judas.

  I held out my hand for her to place hers in mine and I walked her to the seat, one lower than my own throne, once there I asked her,

  “Two thousand years is a long time to seek revenge and it's been so close on the horizon, tell me, my dear…” She leaned in as I whispered like a lover’s deadly kiss,

  “Are you ready to kill Lucius…are you ready to kill…

  “Your Husband?”

  To be continued.

  About the Author

  Stephanie Hudson has dreamed of being a writer ever since her obsession with reading books at an early age. What first became a quest to overcome the boundaries set against her in the form of dyslexia has turned into a life's dream. She first started writing in the form of poetry and soon found a taste for horror and romance. Afterlife is her first book in the series of twelve, with the story of Keira and Draven becoming ever more complicated in a world that sets them miles apart.

  When not writing, Stephanie enjoys spending time with her loving family and friends, chatting for hours with her biggest fan, her sister Cathy who is utterly obsessed with one gorgeous Dominic Draven. And of course, spending as much time with her supportive partner and personal muse, Blake who is there for her no matter what.

  Author’s words.

  My love and devotion is to all my wonderful fans that keep me going into the wee hours of the night but foremost to my wonderful daughter Ava...who yes, is named after a cool, kick-ass, Demonic bird and my sons, Jack, who is a little hero and Baby Halen, who yes, keeps me up at night but it’s okay because he is named after a Guitar legend!

  Keep updated with all new release news & more on my website

  www.afterlifesaga.com

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  Also by Stephanie Hudson

  Afterlife Saga

  A Brooding King, A Girl running from her past. What happens when the two collide?

  Book 1 - Afterlife

  Book 2 - The Two Kings

  Book 3 - The Triple Goddess

  Book 4 - The Quarter Moon

  Book 5 - The Pentagram Child /Part 1

  Book 6 - The Pentagram Child /Part 2

  Book 7 - The Cult of the Hexad

  Book 8 - Sacrifice of the Septimus /Part 1

  Book 9 - Sacrifice of the Septimus /Part 2

  Book 10 -Blood of the Infinity War

  Book 11 -Happy Ever Afterlife /Part 1

  Book 12 -Happy Ever Afterlife / Part 2

  Transfusion Saga

  What happens when an ordinary human girl comes face to face with the cruel Vampire King who dismissed her seven years ago?

  Transfusion - Book 1

  Venom of God - Book 2

  Blood of Kings - Book 3

  Rise of Ashes - Book 4

  Map of Sorrows - Book 5

  Tree of Souls - Book 6

  Kingdoms of Hell – Book 7

  Eyes of Crimson - Book 8

  Afterlife Chronicles: (Young Adult Series)

  The Glass Dagger – Book 1

  The Hells Ring – Book 2

  Stephanie Hudson and Blake Hudson

  The Devil in Me

  Other Works from Hudson Indie Ink

  Sloane Murphy

  The Immortal Chronicles

  (YA Paranormal Romance. Complete Series)

  Descent

  Crash

  Soar

  Rapture

  Black Water Academy

  (Upper YA/NA Paranormal Romance. Reverse Harem)

  Marked

  Chosen

  Hunted - Coming 2020

  Dark Fae

  (Paranormal Romance. Dark Fantasy)

  Summer Princess

  Winter King - Coming 2021

  The Shadow Walkers Saga

  (Reverse Harem Paranormal Romance)

  A Crown of Blood and Bone

  A Crown of Smoke and Ash

  A Crown of Shadows and Secrets - Coming 2020

  A Crown of Thorns and Lies - Coming 2020

  A Crown
of Fire and Wrath - Coming 2021

  A Crown of Pride and Ruin - Coming 2021

  Standalones

  When We Fall (New Adult Contemporary Romance)